Cottonwood Heights state Sen. Kathleen Riebe's five fellow Senate Democrats voted Nov. 3 to expel her from their caucus. They also demanded her resignation after an independent investigation found workplace discrimination and harassment.
Riebe is refusing to go.
"I am not resigning," Riebe wrote in an email to FOX 13 News.
The Senate Minority Caucus released a statement Tuesday night announcing the vote and calling on Riebe to relinquish her Senate seat, according to ABC4. The move came one day after an independent investigation was completed Nov. 2, according to the Salt Lake Tribune.
The caucus said the investigation found "a pattern of conduct towards others that was likely motivated by race, national origin, or ethnicity." It also found statements about employment decisions "involving individuals based on their sexual orientation or other protected characteristics," caucus leaders said in their statement.
The caucus did not detail exactly what conduct led to the investigation.
A summary of the investigation obtained by the Salt Lake Tribune said it was "more likely than not" that Riebe engaged in the alleged conduct. That included directing staff to place interns based on sexual orientation, the Tribune reported. The summary said Riebe violated legislative policy.
Corrective actions in the summary included removing Riebe's access to Senate staff and interns, relocating her office and requiring additional harassment training, according to the Tribune.
"The behavior is deeply unsettling and will not be tolerated," Riebe's fellow Democratic senators said in their statement.
Riebe pushes back
In her email to FOX 13 News, Riebe said the investigation report had not been shared with her. She said caucus leaders never contacted her for a response.
"I take workplace concerns seriously," she wrote. "I also dispute material characterizations of my conduct that have been relayed to me."
Riebe said she would not discuss what she called confidential personnel matters or speculate about a report she had not been permitted to review, according to FOX 13 News.
What it means locally
Riebe represents Senate District 15, which as of February 2025 covered Cottonwood Heights, Brighton, parts of Alta, parts of Midvale, parts of South Jordan and parts of Sandy. She was first elected to the Senate in 2020 and is not up for reelection until 2028, according to the Salt Lake Tribune.
Riebe wrote that voters had entrusted her with public office four times and that she had "important work ahead on behalf of my constituents."
